Women’s beach football team before debut. “We can get a medal”
The Polish women’s national beach football team is preparing for the first international tournament in the history of the national team – European Games Krakow – Małopolska 2023. – It is difficult to say how we will perform against other teams, because we will be making our debut in this event. We know the players from other teams and the level should be equal – assures coach Mateusz Sroka.
The women’s beach soccer team was established in August last year precisely because the European Games will be held in Poland. The polish women have already had their training camp and first matches – they beat the Czech Republic twice. Coach Sroka has appointed 12 players for the next consultation in Kozłów (30 April – 5 May).
Most – four – from the most successful women’s beach soccer team Lady Grembach Łódź – Katarzyna Borowiec, Katarzyna Gozdek, Wiktoria Kaczmarek and Dagmara Suskiewicz. There are also three players each from FC 10 Zgierz, the current Polish champions: Paulina Bednarska, Dominika Dewicka, Kamila Komisarczyk, and from Pogoń Dekpol Tczew: Adriana Banaszkiewicz, Katarzyna Nowak, Magdalena Sobal (Pogoń Dekpol Tczew). And also one player each from Red Devils Beachsoccer Chojnice – Wiktoria Słowy and UKS Sparta Daleszyce – Federika Dall`ara.
– This is not a squad for the European Games – Sroka cautions. – We still have another training camp ahead of us at the turn of May and June in Gdańsk, and a few days of training before the event itself. From the point of view of calls, the most important will be the Polish Cup on 7-10 June. All Polish players who play beach soccer will come there. It will be an excellent overview of the team. We will also take a look at the performance of polish women during the club competition Euro Winners Cup. There are only 12 places on the team, but there will be ten field players, so the demands will be high.
Poland’s opponents at the European Games will be the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Spain, Portugal and Italy. – We know some of the players from the opposing teams, because they have come to Poland to play in our clubs. It is difficult to say how we will perform against other teams, because it will be a debut for us. However, the level is comparable – says coach Sroka. – We can win a medal. It is not that any of the teams will outperform us, although the Spanish women may be considered the favourite.
The beach football competition at the European Games will take place in Tarnów. There, a Beach Sports Centre is being built for around PLN 35 million (PLN 25 million from the state budget) in the place of the old swimming pools and on the site of the former football and athletics stadium in Mościce. After the Games, the 3.5 hectare leisure complex will serve Tarnów inhabitants as a summer water park. In addition to beach football, a beach handball competition will also take place there during the Games. – The most important thing is for the weather to be good, because that is when beach soccer is best watched. We will take care of the emotions,” assures coach Sroka.
